This year, Part 2 of the 97^th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is being held on February 15-18, 2023 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan.

I’m not quite certain what the exhibitor was featuring here, the container or Gardenia

My “guess” the 400 year old antique Chinese container, valued at US $350,000 was being shown. The quality of this unique container overpowers the Gardenia, but it did have a few fruit.

An elegant Japanese hemlock forest

Hard to beat this Shishigashira Japanese maple. It has trunk movement, taper, surface root display, asymmetrical silhouette and evenly distributed fine twigs throughout the tree. Fine, delicate twigs on a Shishigashira Japanese maple are rare. And, it even looks comfortable in the antique Chinese container which is matched with the quality of the bonsai. One of my favorite bonsai, even though it looks like needing a repotting in my learned eye….